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Larivière V, Pontille D, Sugimoto CR. Investigating the division of scientific labor using the Contributor
Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). QUANTITATIVE SCIENCE STUDIES 2021. [DOI: 10.1162/qss_a_00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Contributorship statements were introduced by scholarly journals in the late 1990s to provide more details on the specific contributions made by authors to research papers. After more than a decade of idiosyncratic taxonomies by journals, a partnership between medical journals and standards organizations has led to the establishment, in 2015, of the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), which provides a standardized set of 14 research contributions. Using the data from Public Library of Science (PLOS) journals over the 2017–2018 period (N = 30,054 papers), this paper analyzes how research contributions are divided across research teams, focusing on the association between division of labor and number of authors, and authors’ position and specific contributions. It also assesses whether some contributions are more likely to be performed in conjunction with others and examines how the new taxonomy provides greater insight into the gendered nature of labor division. The paper concludes with a discussion of results with respect to current issues in research evaluation, science policy, and responsible research practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Larivière
- École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l’information, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec (Canada)
- Observatoire des sciences et des technologies, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec (Canada)
| | - David Pontille
- Centre de sociologie de l’innovation, Mines ParisTech - CNRS UMR 9217, Paris (France)
| | - Cassidy R. Sugimoto
- School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana (USA)
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Cooke S, Young N, Donaldson M, Nyboer E, Roche D, Madliger C, Lennox R, Chapman J, Faulkes Z, Bennett J. Ten strategies for avoiding and overcoming authorship conflicts in academic publishing. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2021-0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
For better or for worse, authorship is a currency in scholarly research and advancement. In scholarly writing, authorship is widely acknowledged as a means of conferring credit but is also tied to concepts such as responsibility and accountability. Authorship is one of the most divisive topics both at the level of the research team and more broadly in the academy and beyond. At present, authorship is often the primary way to assert and receive credit in many scholarly pursuits and domains. Debates rage, publicly but mostly privately, regarding authorship. Here we attempt to clarify key concepts related to authorship informed by our collective experiences and anchored in relevant contemporary literature. Rather than dwelling on the problems, we focus on proactive strategies for creating more just, equitable, and transparent avenues for minimizing conflict around authorship and where there is adequate recognition of the entire process of knowledge generation, synthesis, sharing, and application with partners within and beyond the academy. We frame our ideas around 10 strategies that collectively constitute a roadmap for avoiding and overcoming challenges associated with authorship decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S.J. Cooke
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - N. Young
- School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - M.R. Donaldson
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
- Canadian Science Publishing, Ottawa, ON K2C 0P7, Canada
| | - E.A. Nyboer
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - D.G. Roche
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - C.L. Madliger
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - R.J. Lennox
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim 7010, Norway
| | - J.M. Chapman
- School of Public Policy, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Z. Faulkes
- School of Interdisciplinary Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - J.R. Bennett
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
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Rahman MT, Regenstein JM, Abu Kassim NL, Karim MM. Contribution based author categorization to calculate author performance index. Account Res 2020; 28:492-516. [PMID: 33290665 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2020.1860764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite the widely used author contribution criteria, unethical authorship practices such as guest, ghost, and honorary authorship remain largely unsolved. We have identified six major reasons by analyzing 78 published papers addressing unethical authorship practice. Those are lack of: (i) awareness about and (ii) compliance with authorship criteria, (iii) universal definition and scope for determining authorship, (iv) common mechanisms for positioning an author in the list, (v) quantitative measures of intellectual contribution; and (vi) pressure to publish. As a measure to control unethical practice, we have evaluated the possibility to adopt an author categorization scheme - proposed according to the common understanding of how first-, co-, principal-, or corresponding- author is perceived. Based on an online opinion survey, the scheme was supported by ~80% of the respondents (n=370). The impact of the proposed categorization was then evaluated using a novel mathematical tool to measure "Author Performance Index (API)" that can be higher for those who might have authored more papers as primary and/or principal authors than those as coauthors. Hence, if adopted, the proposed author categorization scheme together with the API would provide a better way to evaluate the credit of an individual as a primary and principal author.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Noor Lide Abu Kassim
- Faculty of Education, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Schroter S, Montagni I, Loder E, Eikermann M, Schäffner E, Kurth T. Awareness, usage and perceptions of authorship guidelines: an international survey of biomedical authors. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e036899. [PMID: 32958486 PMCID: PMC7507845 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate authors' awareness and use of authorship guidelines, and to assess their perceptions of the fairness of authorship decisions. DESIGN A cross-sectional online survey. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Corresponding authors of research papers submitted in 2014 to 18 BMJ journals. RESULTS 3859/12 646 (31%) researchers responded. They worked in 93 countries and varied in research experience. Of these, 1326 (34%) reported their institution had an authorship policy providing criteria for authorship; 2871 (74%) were 'very familiar' with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' authorship criteria and 3358 (87%) reported that guidelines were beneficial when preparing manuscripts. Furthermore, 2609 (68%) reported that their use was 'sometimes' or 'frequently' encouraged in their research setting. However, 2859 respondents (74%) reported that they had been involved in a study at least once where someone was added as an author who had not contributed substantially (honorary authorship), and 1305 (34%) where someone was not listed as an author but had contributed substantially (ghost authorship). Only 740 (19%) reported that they had never experienced either honorary or ghost authorship; 1115 (29%) reported that they had experienced both at least once. There was no clear pattern in experience of authorship misappropriation by continent. For their last coauthored article, 2187 (57%) reported that explicit authorship criteria had been used to determine eligibility, and 3088 (80%) felt that the decision made was fair. When institutions frequently encouraged use of authorship guidelines, authorship eligibility was more likely to be discussed early (817 of 1410, 58%) and perceived as fairer (1273 of 1410, 90%) compared with infrequent encouragement (974 of 2449, 40%, and 1891 of 2449, 74%). CONCLUSIONS Despite a high level of awareness of authorship guidelines and criteria, these are not so widely used; more explicit encouragement of their use by institutions may result in more favourable use of guidelines by authors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ilaria Montagni
- Bordeaux Population Health Research Center UMR129, University of Bordeaux-Inserm, Bordeaux, France
| | - Elizabeth Loder
- BMJ Publishing Group, London, UK
- Division of Headache, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - M Eikermann
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Elke Schäffner
- Institute of Public Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Kurth
- Institute of Public Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Haeussler C, Sauermann H. Division of labor in collaborative knowledge production: The role of team size and interdisciplinarity. RESEARCH POLICY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2020.103987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Hosseini M, Gordijn B. A review of the literature on ethical issues related to scientific authorship. Account Res 2020; 27:284-324. [PMID: 32243214 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2020.1750957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The article at hand presents the results of a literature review on the ethical issues related to scientific authorship. These issues are understood as questions and/or concerns about obligations, values or virtues in relation to reporting, authorship and publication of research results. For this purpose, the Web of Science core collection was searched for English resources published between 1945 and 2018, and a total of 324 items were analyzed. Based on the review of the documents, ten ethical themes have been identified, some of which entail several ethical issues. Ranked on the basis of their frequency of occurrence these themes are: 1) attribution, 2) violations of the norms of authorship, 3) bias, 4) responsibility and accountability, 5) authorship order, 6) citations and referencing, 7) definition of authorship, 8) publication strategy, 9) originality, and 10) sanctions. In mapping these themes, the current article explores major ethical issue and provides a critical discussion about the application of codes of conduct, various understandings of culture, and contributing factors to unethical behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hosseini
- Institute of Ethics, School of Theology, Philosophy and Music, Dublin City University , Dublin, Ireland
| | - Bert Gordijn
- Institute of Ethics, School of Theology, Philosophy and Music, Dublin City University , Dublin, Ireland
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Faulkes Z. Resolving authorship disputes by mediation and arbitration. Res Integr Peer Rev 2018; 3:12. [PMID: 30473872 PMCID: PMC6240247 DOI: 10.1186/s41073-018-0057-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disputes over authorship are increasing. This paper examines the options that researchers have in resolving authorship disputes. Discussions about authorship disputes often address how to prevent disputes but rarely address how to resolve them. Both individuals and larger research communities are harmed by the limited options for dispute resolution. MAIN BODY When authorship disputes arise after publication, most existing guidelines recommend that the authors work out the disputes between themselves. But this is unlikely to occur, because there are often large power differentials between team members, and institutions (e.g., universities, funding agencies) are unlikely to have authority over all team members. Other collaborative disciplines that deal with issues of collaborative creator credit could provide models for scientific authorship. Arbitration or mediation could provide solutions to authorship disputes where few presently exist. Because authors recognize journals' authority to make decisions about manuscripts submitted to the journal, journals are well placed to facilitate alternative dispute resolution processes. CONCLUSION Rather than viewing authorship disputes as rare events that must be handled on a case by case basis, researchers and journals should view the potential for disputes as predictable, preventable, and soluble. Independent bodies that can offer alternative dispute resolution services to scientific collaborators and/or journals could quickly help research communities, particularly their most vulnerable members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zen Faulkes
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1201 West University Drive, Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
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Mongeon P, Smith E, Joyal B, Larivière V. The rise of the middle author: Investigating collaboration and division of labor in biomedical research using partial alphabetical authorship. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184601. [PMID: 28910344 PMCID: PMC5599011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary biomedical research is performed by increasingly large teams. Consequently, an increasingly large number of individuals are being listed as authors in the bylines, which complicates the proper attribution of credit and responsibility to individual authors. Typically, more importance is given to the first and last authors, while it is assumed that the others (the middle authors) have made smaller contributions. However, this may not properly reflect the actual division of labor because some authors other than the first and last may have made major contributions. In practice, research teams may differentiate the main contributors from the rest by using partial alphabetical authorship (i.e., by listing middle authors alphabetically, while maintaining a contribution-based order for more substantial contributions). In this paper, we use partial alphabetical authorship to divide the authors of all biomedical articles in the Web of Science published over the 1980-2015 period in three groups: primary authors, middle authors, and supervisory authors. We operationalize the concept of middle author as those who are listed in alphabetical order in the middle of an authors' list. Primary and supervisory authors are those listed before and after the alphabetical sequence, respectively. We show that alphabetical ordering of middle authors is frequent in biomedical research, and that the prevalence of this practice is positively correlated with the number of authors in the bylines. We also find that, for articles with 7 or more authors, the average proportion of primary, middle and supervisory authors is independent of the team size, more than half of the authors being middle authors. This suggests that growth in authors lists are not due to an increase in secondary contributions (or middle authors) but, rather, in equivalent increases of all types of roles and contributions (including many primary authors and many supervisory authors). Nevertheless, we show that the relative contribution of alphabetically ordered middle authors to the overall production of knowledge in the biomedical field has greatly increased over the last 35 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Mongeon
- École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l’information, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Elise Smith
- École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l’information, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Bruno Joyal
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Vincent Larivière
- École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l’information, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Observatoire des Sciences et des Technologies (OST), Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur la Science et la Technologie (CIRST), Université du Québec à Montréal, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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How do research faculty in the biosciences evaluate paper authorship criteria? PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183632. [PMID: 28829822 PMCID: PMC5567537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Authorship of peer-reviewed journal articles and abstracts has become the primary currency and reward unit in academia. Such a reward is crucial for students and postdocs who are often under-compensated and thus highly value authorship as an incentive. While numerous scientific and publishing organizations have written guidelines for determining author qualifications and author order, there remains much ambiguity when it comes to how these criteria are weighed by research faculty. Here, we sought to provide some initial insight on how faculty view the relative importance of 11 criteria for scientific authorship. We distributed an online survey to 564 biomedical engineering, biology, and bioengineering faculty members at 10 research institutions across the United States. The response rate was approximately 18%, resulting in a final sample of 102 respondents. Results revealed an agreement on some criteria, such as time spent conducting experiments, but there was a lack of agreement regarding the role of funding procurement. This study provides quantitative assessments of how faculty members in the biosciences evaluate authorship criteria. We discuss the implications of these findings for researchers, especially new graduate students, to help navigate the discrepancy between official policies for authorship and the contributions that faculty truly value.
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10
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Logan JM, Bean SB, Myers AE. Author contributions to ecological publications: What does it mean to be an author in modern ecological research? PLoS One 2017. [PMID: 28650967 PMCID: PMC5484501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Authorship is a central element of scientific research carrying a variety of rewards and responsibilities, and while various guidelines exist, actual author contributions are often ambiguous. Inconsistent or limited contributions threaten to devalue authorship as intellectual currency and diminish authors’ responsibility for published content. Researchers have assessed author contributions in the medical literature and other research fields, but similar data for the field of ecological research are lacking. Authorship practices in ecological research are broadly representative of a variety of fields due to the cross-disciplinary nature of collaborations in ecological studies. To better understand author contributions to current research, we distributed a survey regarding co-author contributions to a random selection of 996 lead authors of manuscripts published in ecological journals in 2010. We obtained useable responses from 45% of surveyed authors. Reported lead author contributions in ecological research studies consistently included conception of the project idea, data collection, analysis, and writing. Middle and last author contributions instead showed a high level of individual variability. Lead authorship in ecology is well defined while secondary authorship is more ambiguous. Nearly half (48%) of all studies included in our survey had some level of non-compliance with Ecological Society of America (ESA) authorship guidelines and the majority of studies (78%) contained at least one co-author that did not meet International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) requirements. Incidence of non-compliance varied with lead author occupation and author position. The probability of a study including an author that was non-compliant with ESA guidelines was lowest for professor-led studies and highest for graduate student and post doctoral researcher-led studies. Among studies with > two co-authors, all lead authors met ESA guidelines and only 2% failed to meet ICMJE requirements. Middle (24% ESA, 63% ICMJE) and last (37% ESA, 60% ICMJE) authors had higher rates of non-compliance. The probability of a study containing a co-author that did not meet ESA or ICMJE requirements increased significantly with the number of co-authors per study although even studies with only two co-authors had a high probability of non-compliance of approximately 60% (ICMJE) and 15 to 40% (ESA). Given the variable and often limited contributions of authors in our survey and past studies of other research disciplines, institutions, journals, and scientific societies need to implement new approaches to instill meaning in authorship status. A byline approach may not alter author contributions but would better define individual contributions and reduce existing ambiguity regarding the meaning of authorship in modern ecological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M. Logan
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Sarah B. Bean
- Buttonwood Park Zoo, New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Andrew E. Myers
- The Derryfield School, Manchester, New Hampshire, United States of America
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The sum of it all: Revealing collaboration patterns by combining authorship and acknowledgements. J Informetr 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Kornhaber RA, McLean LM, Baber RJ. Ongoing ethical issues concerning authorship in biomedical journals: an integrative review. Int J Nanomedicine 2015; 10:4837-46. [PMID: 26257520 PMCID: PMC4525802 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s87585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Health professionals publishing within the field of health sciences continue to experience issues concerning appropriate authorship, which have clinical, ethical, and academic implications. This integrative review sought to explore the key issues concerning authorship from a bioethical standpoint, aiming to explore the key features of the authorship debate. Studies were identified through an electronic search, using the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus databases of peer-reviewed research, published between 2009 and 2014, limited to English language research, with search terms developed to reflect the current issues of authorship. From among the 279 papers identified, 20 research papers met the inclusion criteria. Findings were compiled and then arranged to identify themes and relationships. The review incorporated a wide range of authorship issues encompassing equal-credited authors, honorary (guest/gift) and ghost authorship, perception/experiences of authorship, and guidelines/policies. This review suggests that the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' (ICMJE) recommended guidelines for authorship are not reflected in current authorship practices within the domain of health sciences in both low-and high-impact-factor journals. This devaluing of the true importance of authorship has the potential to affect the validity of authorship, diminish the real contributions of the true authors, and negatively affect patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Anne Kornhaber
- Faculty of Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Nursing, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Loyola M McLean
- Brain and Mind Centre and Westmead Psychotherapy Program, Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney West and Greater Southern Psychiatry Training Network, Cumberland Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
- Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rodney J Baber
- Discipline of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology, Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Courbon E, Tanguay C, Lebel D, Bussières JF. [Not Available]. Can J Hosp Pharm 2014; 67:188-96. [PMID: 24970938 PMCID: PMC4071080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Honorary and ghost authorship, as well as competing interests, are well documented concerns related to the publication of scientific articles. Guidelines for writing and publishing scientific manuscripts are available, including those of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to identify, in the instructions for authors of pharmacy practice journals, guidance on authorship and competing interests. The secondary objective was to suggest suitable corrective measures for more transparent authorship. METHODS The first step of the project was to identify journals in the area of pharmacy practice. The instructions for authors of each journal were then reviewed to determine recommendations for avoiding problems related to authorship and competing interests. Finally, the members of the research team formulated potential corrective measures for researchers. RESULTS Of 232 pharmacy journals identified, 33 were deemed to focus on pharmacy practice. A total of 24 (73%) of these journals mentioned that they followed ICMJE policies, 14 (42%) asked authors to complete a competing interests disclosure form at the time of submission, 17 (52%) had a formal definition of authorship, and 5 (15%) asked for details of each author's contribution. A list of 40 criteria was developed to define authorship status. CONCLUSION Fewer than half of the journals asked authors to provide a competing interests disclosure form upon submission of an article, and only half had a formal definition of authorship. The scientific publication of papers relevant to pharmacy practice is not free from issues related to publication transparency. Publishing articles online and using a checklist to detail each author's contribution may help to limit the associated risks. [Publisher's translation].
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Courbon
- est candidate au D. Pharm et assistante de recherche à l'Unité de recherche en pratique pharmaceutique, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec. Elle est aussi interne en pharmacie, Université Paris Sud XI, Paris, France
| | - Cynthia Tanguay
- , B. Sc., M. Sc, est coordonnatrice à l'Unité de recherche en pratique pharmaceutique, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec
| | - Denis Lebel
- , B. Pharm., M. Sc., FCSHP, est Adjoint, Département de pharmacie et Unité de recherche en pratique pharmaceutique, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec
| | - Jean-François Bussières
- , B. Pharm., M. Sc., FCSHP, est Chef, Département de pharmacie et Unité de recherche en pratique pharmaceutique, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec. Il est aussi professeur titulaire de clinique, Faculté de pharmacie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
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Malički M, Jerončić A, Marušić M, Marušić A. Why do you think you should be the author on this manuscript? Analysis of open-ended responses of authors in a general medical journal. BMC Med Res Methodol 2012; 12:189. [PMID: 23256648 PMCID: PMC3552823 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2288-12-189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To assess how authors would describe their contribution to the submitted manuscript without reference to or requirement to satisfy authorship criteria of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), we analyzed responses of authors to an open-ended question “Why do you think you should be the author on this manuscript?”. Methods Responses of authors (n=1425) who submitted their manuscripts (n=345) to the Croatian Medical Journal, an international general medical journal, from March 2009 until July 2010 were transcribed and matched to ICMJE criteria. Statements that could not be matched were separately categorized. Responses according to the number of authors or their byline position on the manuscript were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U test and Moses test of extreme reactions. Results The number of authors per manuscript ranged from 1 to 26 (median=4, IQR=3-6), with the median of 2 contributions per author (IQR=2-3). Authors’ responses could be matched to the ICMJE criteria in 1116 (87.0%) cases. Among these, only 15.6% clearly declared contributions from all 3 ICMJE criteria; however, if signing of the authorship form was taken as the fulfillment of the third ICMJE criterion, overall fraction of deserving authorship was 54.2%. Non-ICMJE contributions were declared by 98 (7.6%) authors whose other contributions could be matched to ICMJE criteria, and by 116 (13.0%) authors whose contributions could not be matched to ICMJE criteria. The most frequently reported non-ICMJE contribution was literature review. Authors on manuscripts with more than 8 authors declared more contributions than those on manuscript with 8 or fewer authors: median 2, IQR 1–4, vs. median 2, IQR 1–3, respectively (Mann Whitney U test, p=0.001; Moses Test of Extreme Reactions, p<0.001). Almost a third of single authors (n=9; 31.0%) reported contributions that could not be matched to any ICMJE criterion. Conclusions In cases of multi-author collaborative efforts but not in manuscripts with fewer authors open-ended authorship declaration without instructions on ICMJE criteria elicited responses from authors that were similar to responses when ICMJE criteria were explicitly required. Current authorship criteria and the practice of contribution declaration should be revised in order to capture deserving authorship in biomedical research.
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